mistakes

Things happen. You make mistakes. Me too. “Success is not forever and failure isn’t fatal,” says Don Shula. Perfection isn’t in our makeup – that’s okay. We all are members in the Oops Club.

When we talk about greatness, many people think this means that things must be perfect – things must work out as planned. But we know life isn’t like that. We aren’t like that and that is actually the key to our greatness.

Our greatness comes through our learning. As I like to tell my audiences, we weren’t born with an owner’s manual – a guidebook that tells us who we are, what we should do and how we should live. Instead, we get the gift of each moment in life as the means to gather information – a kind of trial and error process – to see what does and doesn’t work. Each day, we show up and learn more about ourselves.

Sometimes in this process we get it right – Whohoo! Celebrate. Sometimes we get it wrong – Whohoo! Celebrate. With the mistakes and the failures, we learn about ourselves – more information that can help us better understand how to make our next moments better.

Mistakes are tools of greatness. Maybe that seems like this statement is at odds with itself but it really isn’t. Greatness isn’t a location or an end. It is a mindset and an attitude – a commitment to discover and become one’s best. And because our road to being our best isn’t clearly defined, we stumble our way along. We all do.

But when we work to tune in to our lives, we gather better information; and with better information, we can make better decisions. When we don’t tune in, the signals get confusing; our decisions aren’t so successful. We make mistakes. So, don’t spend a moment of energy lamenting the mistake or failure, but rather use all that energy to learn from it, get back on course and keep moving forward.

Few people I know say they love mistakes and failures. However, people who are highly conscious to their lives, rarely fear or get affected by mistakes and failures – to them they are nothing more than information that means realignment or correction. As Don Shula’s opening quote said, “Success is not forever and failure isn’t fatal.” It is just a moment of information; its value is in what it can tell us and how to be better next time. How do we get better at accepting our memberships in the Oops Club?

• Learn to laugh more. We sometimes think everything matters. That is just a story in our head. Actually, we decide of what happens, what matters. Sure there are some serious situations in life, but most of the situations that we label as serious just aren’t. We could see them as the way life is and get better at laughing them off.

• Learn to tune in more. Life is loaded with information, most of which we miss because we don’t tune into our lives. We are so distracted by all of the noise, lights and yack around us that we don’t pay attention to the things in our life. Tune in means noticing your thoughts, feelings and actions and what motivates them. Make time. Turn the electronics off. Close your eyes. Be still. This is how to connect to your information source.

• Learn to cut others more slack. If we were able to allow others to be more human (because we all make mistakes), perhaps we could allow ourselves to be more human. Cut yourself some slack when things don’t go as planned. Oops. instead, just ask yourself this question: What can I do better next time?

Welcome to the Oops Club. I am a card-carrying member – a club I am proud to be in. This club encourages learning, growing and changing. This is how we access our greatness. This is how we remember that we show up stronger to the things that challenge us. Carry your membership card proudly.

Membership In The Oops Club was last modified: March 5th, 2014 by Jay Forte

I was scheduled to fly to Dublin, Ireland a few weeks ago for a speaking engagement and when I got to the airport I realized I’d forgotten my passport at home. I felt mortified and embarrassed – and then angry when I realized I wouldn’t be able to get on my flight. After a few hours of stress and drama, I was able to get myself on another flight, which would get me to Ireland on time for my event – although it did cost me quite a bit of money and forced my wife Michelle to have to drop what she was doing and rush to the airport with my passport.

In the big scheme of things in life, it wasn’t a huge deal. However, it really upset me and caused me to reflect on how I react to mistakes – mine and other people’s. What I realized is that I don’t give myself or those close to me much permission to make mistakes. While mistakes aren’t a huge issue in my life, I actually spend and waste a lot of time worrying about making mistakes, and also find myself being unnecessarily critical of those around me when they make mistakes (both overtly and covertly).

Michelle’s kind, accommodating, and empathetic response to my mistake (which ended up having a negative impact on her as well) was a great model and reminder for how I want to be when someone around me makes a mistake – helpful, loving, and compassionate. It also reminded me that having love and compassion for myself when I make a mistake, instead of judgment and criticism, is a much healthier and more positive way to deal with mistakes.

How about you? How do you relate to yourself and others when mistakes are made? While it often depends on the nature of the mistake (some are bigger than others, of course), many of us tend to be hyper-critical with ourselves and those around us when it comes to errors. And the stress, criticism, and negativity we associate with mistakes can actually cause unnecessary harm, fear, and anguish – in essence, making a difficult situation even worse.

What if we had more freedom to make mistakes and gave the people around us permission to mess things up as well? It’s not that we’d start rooting for or expecting things to go wrong, we’d simply have more compassion and understanding when they did (which at some level is inevitable in life and business).

By giving ourselves and others permission to make mistakes, we actually create an environment within our own being and within our key relationships and teams, that is conducive to trust, connection, risk-taking, forgiveness, creativity, and genuine success.

While it can seem a little risky, and even counter-intuitive, allowing more freedom for mistakes to be made, ironically creates the conditions for less errors to occur, and more fun and productivity to take place.

It’s Okay to Make Mistakes was last modified: April 1st, 2013 by Mike Robbins

I’m feeling embarrassed because I’ve made a series of silly mistakes. I run retreats internationally in which people come together to experience a spiritual awakening to oneness and ‘big love’, so I regularly send out emails to tell people about new events. In my last email I managed to get the details wrong, so I sent out an apology and the correction. Then I realized I’d got other details wrong as well, so I had to send out another email to apologize.

Making mistakes is a part of life … at least it is a consistent part of my life! Yet I am always shocked when I see how easily I don’t pay enough attention to what I am doing. And this has got me thinking about how I feel when I make mistakes.

Getting the dates wrong on an email is a relatively minor mistake, but I still feel annoyed with myself. I prefer it when I am pleased myself, of course. Yet I also feel there is something precious in the humility that arises when I see my innate fallibility … with both the big and little things in my life.

Humbly embracing my flawed humanity has been a theme of my life in recent years, and is a major element in my new book that is coming out next year. For a long time my spiritual journey was about waking up to the deep self and the oneness of life, and this remains an on-going adventure. But now I find myself also focusing on coming to terms with the limitations of ‘Tim’ that show no signs of miraculously disappearing!

As I get older I am struck by how ‘Tim’ still stumbles and falls. Humility and embarrassment seem like old friends. And there is a vulnerability and authenticity that arises from the recognition of my human fallibility that I am learning to appreciate. Connecting with each other and with life from the deep self is a wonderful experience. Yet embracing each other in our vulnerable, fragile, tender humanity is equally important.

It seems to me that I am profoundly paradoxical. On the one hand so big and on the other so small. Within me are unfathomable depths, yet ‘Tim’ is also necessarily limited and imperfect. On my spiritual journey I once believed that I could one day perfect ‘Tim’ into some sort of enlightened being who was always at his best. Now it feels to me that the journey is about embracing all that I am.

This means both awakening to the deep self and humbly accepting my human limitations. It is when I am able to do both that I am truly authentic. And then something beautiful and tender happens. There is this unconditionally love of myself just as I am … a love of others just as they are … a love of life just as it is … a deep love of being.

I shared these ideas with my emailing list when I apologized for my mistakes. And here’s the funny thing. I got more lovely replies to that email than to any other email I’ve sent out. So what I am learning is this. People respond when we’re real about ourselves. When we’re willing to be authentic it allows others to be authentic too. And that feels good.

Tim Freke is a pioneering philosopher and the author of many groundbreaking books, which have been translated into 15 languages. These include How Long Is Now?Lucid Living and The Jesus Mysteries, which was a ‘Book of the Year’ in the Daily Telegraph and a top 10 bestseller in the UK and USA. His cutting-edge work on Gnosticism and pioneering spiritual philosophy have established his reputation as a scholar and free-thinker. He is often featured in documentaries and interviewed by the global media, such as the BBC and the History Channel.

Tim runs ‘mystery experience retreats’ internationally, in which he guides others directly to a spiritually awakened state. He also performs as a ‘stand-up philosopher’ – a concept he developed from the ancient idea of a philosopher as a traveling ‘spiritual entertainer’ who transforms people’s consciousness. Tim lives with his wife and two children in Glastonbury, England. For free videos and talks visit www.timothyfreke.com

When I was growing up my father often said: “Everyone does the best they can with what they have to work with.” What I want you to know about this is that he did not say this lightly, did not come to this from a life of ease or privilege. He had grown up poor with an abusive alcoholic father and an exhausted, unprotective mother. As a child he and his mother were beaten almost every night by my grandfather who eventually (after my father was an adult) committed suicide- hung himself in the barn of the dirt farm where my father had…

Scientists say we’re made of Atoms, pure energy…but where does that come from? World religious heads say we are a creation of God…but where does God come from? Philosophers and Spiritual teachers have entertained theories from; we are one collective energy expressed through many forms, to life is an illusion…but where does that come from?

READ: MAKING MISTAKES by Tim Freke was last modified: January 13th, 2012 by Tim Freke

Who hasn’t heard of the law of attraction? It’s a huge phenomenon that is continuously taking the world by storm. It has worked like a charm for many people who knows how to use it right.

But amidst all the success stories, many individuals still can’t get the law of attraction to work for them. There are some law of attraction mistakes people tend to make, without being aware of it. If you’re one of those who can’t manifest their desires, then this article is for you.

The law of attraction is very easy to apply in your life. However, it is also easy to misunderstand it. If you want to know common law of attraction mistakes so you can avoid them, read on…

Law Of Attraction Mistake # 1: Breeding Ingratitude

One of the most common mistakes is ingratitude. After all, the law of attraction is based on gratitude. When you’re not grateful for what you have, you tend to attract a lot of unwanted negative energy into your life.

This might require a real shift of attitude for some people; but unless you find it in your heart to thank the universe for what you have, you’ll find the universe a little less generous in return.

So why don’t you make the first move? When you wake up each day, be grateful that you are alive. When you see the sun setting down, be grateful that you have sight. When you hear something beautiful playing, be grateful that you have the opportunity to hear it. Do this everyday and gratitude will soon come naturally to you.

Law Of Attraction Mistake # 2: Impatience

A lot of people think that the law of attraction is like a genie in the bottle, that the universe will be able to give you your dream home in just a matter of seconds.

While the concept does seem to work like that, you can’t exactly put a time frame on the process. As one blogger puts it, the more patient you are, the better the results will be in time.

When you feel impatience with the universe, you’ll start sending off waves of negativity. That will automatically put your wish on hold.

Law Of Attraction Mistake # 3: Having Little Faith

The law of attraction works on faith. If you don’t believe it will happen, it will never happen. If you think you believe, but still in your heart there’s some tinge of doubt, it would still be very difficult for you to manifest your dreams.

If you have not experienced success during your first tries, you should not be disappointed. Instead, you should keep moving forward towards your goal.

The law of attraction does not always work the first time, especially if you keep making the same mistakes. So if you fail this time around, why don’t you read about the other law of attraction mistakes in this article and see which areas you can improve on?

Another way you can strengthen your faith is by reading more about the law of attraction in books and online. There are a lot of amazing true-to-life stories about the law of attraction that will leave no doubt in your mind about its power.

Law Of Attraction Mistake # 4: Determining How It Will Happen

The universe is not something you can really command. You can’t expect what you want to happen the exact way you want it. Your dream home might not be something you have to work for. It might end up to be part of your great-grandmother’s will or something you will win in the lottery.

Once you start dictating how you expect your desire to manifest, you are cutting off other avenues for which that desire can enter your life. The way the law of attraction works is that you ask for it, and let the universe give it to you in the way it intends to.

Law Of Attraction Mistake # 5: Limiting Beliefs

We all have certain beliefs that we’re not 100% conscious of. These beliefs might be hidden deep inside of us, emerging only at the most crucial moment. These beliefs may not necessarily be harmful, but they may also be a hindrance to the law of attraction.

One of the most common limiting beliefs is the idea of “I don’t deserve this.” Once this thought enters your mind (or your heart even), the universe will interpret is as “I don’t want this.”

Part of the charm of the law of attraction is that it encourages you to open yourself up to the universe. Don’t be held back by these negative beliefs. Instead, assure yourself that you are, indeed, worthy of having such a gift.

To get rid of these limiting beliefs, why don’t you try embracing more of life? Read about how every one of us truly deserves a happy ending. Get rid of all your drama and angst.

The law of attraction is very powerful indeed. It has the capacity to give you whatever you want. However, there are a lot of law of attraction mistakes you can make if you’re not careful. Most of these mistakes deal with negativity. However, these are pretty easy to deal with as long as you stay aware of your thoughts, emotions and actions. And as long as you’re open to change and improvement, you too can harness the astonishing powers of the universe.

Jeremy Gislason, owner of SureFireWealth Inc, the publisher of the self improvement series at http://www.mindmaptoriches.com certainly has the right mindset to be teaching others. A great Self Help Book “Mindmap to Riches” series can change the course of one’s life.

Law of Attraction Mistakes: Why The Law Of Attraction Fails To Work For Many People was last modified: February 17th, 2011 by VividLife Editorial

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Shayne Traviss

Sometime's growth involves digging up the dirt and planting anew...
After over 20 years of marketing, promoting and producing others I've decided to open a new chapter in my life.
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Founded by Shayne Traviss formerly VividLife.me was an online resource for personal growth through over 10,000 blogs, audio conversations and videos, from thought leaders, best-selling authors and wellness experts from around the globe. VividLife.me provided engaging conversations on consciousness and human potential with Arianna Huffington, Jane Fonda and Alanis Morrissette, wisdom packed blogs from spiritual Icons Iyanla Vanzant and Ram Dass, Green Tips from David Suzuki’s Queen of Green, Advice from Award Winning Parenting and Relationships Experts, Recipes from Vegetarian, Vegan, Raw Chef’s and more… and reached and inspired over 3 million people around the globe.
However sometime's growth involves digging up the dirt and planting anew...
And after over 20 years of marketing, promoting and producing others Shayne Traviss decided to open a new chapter in his life.
If you long to go higher, live a life 'all in' join him as he dives in deep sharing his life experiences, travels and inspirations for living a VividLife.